Why Our Boutique Agency Chooses Agility Over Rigid Structure
A reflection on client feedback and why we’re doubling down on our approach
Recently, we received candid feedback from a potential client who ultimately chose to work with a network agency. Their decision came down to one core issue: they perceived us as lacking the structure and clarity that larger agencies provide. While we lost this particular opportunity, their feedback sparked an important internal conversation about who we are, what we stand for, and why our approach—though different—is precisely what makes us valuable in today’s rapidly evolving market.
The Feedback That Started It All (And The Plot Twist)
The potential client articulated several concerns: unclear creative parameters, undefined team roles, and a general sense of “unstructured” operations compared to their chosen network agency. They wanted hard parameters, clear hierarchies, and the comfort of well-defined processes. These are valid desires, and we respect their decision entirely.
But here’s where it gets interesting: a few weeks later, they reached out again. After experiencing their first workshops with the network agency, they discovered what we had tried to communicate during our many discussions—network agencies excel at branding, strategy sessions, and beautiful presentations, but when it comes to performance marketing, their structured approach can actually become a limitation. The client realized they needed 80% performance focus and only 20% brand building, and suddenly our “unstructured” approach didn’t look so chaotic after all.
This isn’t to say “we told you so”—rather, it perfectly illustrates the fundamental difference between agencies built for different purposes.
But here’s what this feedback really told us: We’re not trying to be a network agency, and we shouldn’t pretend to be one.
Speed and Quality: Our Non-Negotiables
In today’s market, two factors reign supreme: timing and quality. While network agencies excel at creating comprehensive structures and detailed processes, we’ve chosen a different path. Our “all hands on deck” mentality isn’t a bug—it’s a feature. It allows us to:
- Pivot instantly when market conditions change
- Say yes to opportunities that don’t fit neatly into predefined boxes
- Deliver exceptional work without drowning in approval chains
- Adapt to client needs in real-time, not after three committee meetings
I’ve personally witnessed, time and again in previous roles, how rigid structures became barriers to growth. Opportunities knocked, but by the time they made it through the approval matrix, the moment had passed. If we operated with that level of structural rigidity, we’d be getting in our own way.
The Method to Our Madness
Let me be clear: we’re not advocating for complete chaos. Certain foundations are non-negotiable—we need to deliver quality work, meet deadlines, and yes, write invoices. These fundamentals are our bedrock. Layer by layer, we’re building additional processes as we grow and learn. But there’s a crucial difference between having essential foundations and being trapped by unnecessary bureaucracy.
Our approach works because:
- We stay lean and mean: With our current size, extensive hierarchies would slow us down without adding value
- We embrace adaptability: When a client needs something outside the scope, we don’t need three meetings to approve it—we just do it
- We prioritize outcomes over processes: Our success metric isn’t how well we follow procedures, but how well we deliver results
The Balance We Strike
There’s wisdom in structure, particularly for agencies managing 30+ employees across multiple offices and time zones. Network agencies need those systems to function. We respect that immensely. But at our current size and with our current goals, that level of structure would be like wearing a suit of armor to run a sprint—impressive looking, but ultimately self-defeating.
Our balance looks different:
- Clear on outcomes, flexible on methods
- Structured where it matters (quality control, client communication), fluid where it doesn’t
- Defined responsibilities, undefined boundaries between roles
Our Greatest Strength: The "Can Do" Attitude
Business continuity depends on one simple thing: the ability to deliver value and invoice for it. So far, our greatest strength hasn’t been our org charts or process documents—it’s been our agility paired with an unwavering “can do” attitude.
When a client comes to us with an unusual request, a tight deadline, or a creative challenge that doesn’t fit the mold, we don’t say, “Let me check if that fits our service structure.” We say, “Let’s figure out how to make this happen.”
This approach isn’t for everyone. Some clients need the comfort of knowing exactly who does what, when, and how. That’s perfectly valid, and those clients are better served by agencies built for that need.
The Path Forward
Will we evolve? Absolutely. Will we add more structure as we grow? Probably. But will we sacrifice our core agility for the sake of appearing more “organized”? Never.
We’re building something different here—a boutique agency that moves at the speed of the market, not at the speed of bureaucracy. We’re creating an environment where talent thrives on responsibility rather than hiding behind role definitions, where opportunities are seized rather than processed, and where “yes, we can make that work” is our default response.
The fact that the client came back after experiencing the alternative validates what we’ve always known: there’s a time and place for elaborate structures and processes, but when you need to drive actual performance and results, sometimes the best structure is no structure—just talent, agility, and an unwavering focus on what works.
To the potential client who chose differently (and then reconsidered): we genuinely thank you for your honesty. Your journey perfectly illustrates why the agency landscape needs both approaches—structured networks for brand-building exercises and agile boutiques for performance-driven results.
To future clients reading this: if you’re looking for a partner who values agility over rigidity, speed over ceremony, and results over process documents, let’s talk. We might not have every role clearly defined or every process perfectly mapped, but we have something more valuable—the ability to adapt, deliver, and grow with you at the speed of your ambition.
After all, in a world that changes by the minute, the ability to move fast isn’t just an advantage—it’s survival.
At our boutique agency, we believe that structure should enable success, not constrain it. While we continue to build and refine our processes, we’ll never lose sight of what makes us unique: our agility, our can-do attitude, and our commitment to putting results above rigid procedures.
Are you looking for an agency partner that moves as fast as you do?
